SG Standard
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on november 09, 2012 18 of 20 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 1185

Purchased from: the Guitar shop in missisauga

Features: My Gibson is a 2004 model, made in USA. It came with a case and a truss rod adjustment tool. The guitar itself is finished really nicely, except for one spot behind the tailpiece where there seems to be a small dent in the wood. People tend to complain about the Gibson tuners, but personally, I like them. They seem to hold tune really well and add to the characteristic of the guitar. // 9

Sound: The guitar sounds really good clean or dirty, especially with a little chorus/reverb. I try not to limit myself to one style of music and the SG follows me with whatever I play. Playing the guitar clean with no effects, there tends to be a kind of "quack" on the treble pickup, but other than that, I can't complain about the sound, very well balanced tone. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: From the guitar shop, it was setup pretty much exactly how I like it, fairly low action. The britewire strings that come stock on all gibsons kind of sucked, so I put slinkys on there, .009-.042. The guitar was put together fairly well, everythings solid, especially the strap buttons. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Every once in a while, a guitar needs to be thrashed, and this one seems up to the challenge. I'm happy with the quality of it, and it seems really durable for any style of play. // 10

Overall Impression: I try to play a lot of different styles of music and the SG seems fairly good at everything. I've been playing for close to 3 years and this has been my third electric guitar. Right now I'm using it with a small Fender amp, a 30 watt Dyna-Champ or something, its kind of crappy, but the guitar really shines through anyways. I love everything about my Gibson, I don't know how anybody could ever lose one of these, wouldn't you look after it really well? Anyways, in a nutshell, this guitar is sweet from any end of the music spectrum, definitely worth the hefty pirce tag. // 9

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on november 09, 2012 6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Sound: I play a lot of rock music, from Chili Peppers to Iron Maiden; and a range of dark and bright music, soft and really heavy music, a bit of everything rock. This guitar is absolutely perfect for all this and more. It has a lovely clean sound, perfect for anything, I especially like the fingerpicking arpeggio thing; but you can do almost anything in the clean channel. Distorted is where you feel the true power of the SG. It is f--king amazing. You can get any tone you like, just play around with the tone buttons and the three-way Switch. You can get lovely sounds for heavy power chord riffs, fast wah solos, slow melodic solos, fast punky riffs and literally anything else. This is just what I do with my band. Everything sounds incredible. Pinch harmonics, solos, power chords, other chords, sweep picking, finger picking, octaves, clean and distorted, any other effects. I use my Boss Turbo Distortion pedal, and will be using a CryBaby Wah pedal and a Marshall soon. It will sound amazing. Just avoid the overdrive, it ruins the sound (even though the SG does Shine through). Use real distortion. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar couldn't have been set up better. Action on the fingerboard is amazing, it is so fast. You have full access to the highest frets, one of the first things that attracted me to the guitar. So easy and nice to play. The finish is lovely. You should see the guitar in the flesh, shining and beautiful. No photo can compare to it. There were no flaws with this guitar when I bought it, everything was perfect. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This guitar will withstand live playing, you need this guitar at a gig. It will last if looked after, its a Gibson, treat it like one and it will repay you with years of music and gigging and even outlive you. The strap buttons are solid, I am going to change them to strap locks though, not because of the guitar but so I can feel happy about playing it with a strap. A Gibson needs this kinda protection. The finish seems good enough to last. Like I said, this is Gibson anyway. I can depend on this guitar. I don't want a backup guitar. I wouldn't need one. I am willing to tour the world with this guitar and no other. Lotsa strings though 'cause I will never put the baby down. // 10

Overall Impression: I play a mix of rock styles, from Iron Maiden influenced to Creed influenced. In my band we play metal, gunge, rock, emo, some punk. This guitar is perfect for all. I've been playing, well, long enough. Never had the money for decent equipment but here it is, the wait paid off. I own this guitar, a Boss Turbo Distortion, and will be playing through a Marshall and a Crybaby soon. The perfect set-up. If someone stole this instrument from me, well just don't try it okay you wouldn't get very far. And you wouldn't get anywhere after I've finished with you. But I treat it like my baby so it won't get stolen. But if I did lose it, I'd buy another. Straight away. The things I love about the guitar: sound, amazing tones, amazing clean and distorted sounds; action, very easy to play, very fast and losta space for the higher frets with high solos; appearance, this beast is a beauty, even better when you own it it looks so much nicer. I love the whole guitar. And also the case, this case is awesome, it gives the guitar what it deserves. I like this guitar more than the Les Paul. More sound options and easier to play, it kicks the Les Paul's ass. And Ieven prefer it to the PRS Customs. No I'm not mad. I love it more. 17 and I have the guitar of my dreams. Buy this guitar you need one. IF you only ever own one guitar this is the one. // 10

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on november 09, 2012 4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 1281

Purchased from: eBay

Features: 2001 Gibson SG Standard made in the good old USA. The model I got was a limited editon one, this meant jumbo frets and higher output pickups (according to the dude I got it from), also this had a sunburst finsih instead of a natural burst finish, and it looks sweet. All the usual features of SG. The tuners on this hold really well and dont go out very easily. // 10

Sound: I play in a hardcore band, but also like to play alot of different styles when at home. I use a Marshall JCM900 amp and this guitar sounds awesome though it. This guitar seems very versatile and can be used for metal, punk, Indie etc. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: I bought this from someone off ebay so dont know how well factory settings work. The guy I bought this off obviosuly knows his stuff becuase when I got it it was perfect to play. // 8

Reliability & Durability: When I bought his guitar it had a couple of dings but since I've played it I've added a couple more, but it still looks amazaing. None of the knocks have cracked the finish which obviously means it's pretty hardwaring. I have never used a backup guitar even when I had a SG Special and cerainly won't start using one with this guitar. // 10

Overall Impression: This guitar is amazing. I would say this is one of Gibson's best. Great sound, great finish, and unlike the Les Paul not too heavy or pricey. If anything happened to this guitar I would definately buy a Gibson SG again. Perfection. // 10

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
Midnight Murk, on november 09, 2012 4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Features: My Gibson SG Standard is a 2006 model, made in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. It has a 22-fret rosewood fingerboard, with the Standard Gibson 24.75" scale. The SG Standard has a '50s profile, which is bigger than the '60s profile, but it is very small in comparison to Historic Gibsons with the fat '50s necks. It has a solid mahogany body and is finished in a transparent "Heritage Cherry." It has a double-cutaway body. The bridge is a Nashville Tune-o-matic, which is paired up with a stopbar tailpiece. The guitar has passive electronics, which include two volume controls, two tone controls, a three-way selector Switch, and two humbucking pickups. The pickups are Gibson's 490R/498T "Modern Classic" set. The 490R has an Alnico II magnet, while the 498T has an Alnico V, and is significantly hotter. The pickups have a modern flavor, so they aren't really the best for Vintage-style classic rock and blues, but they can be passable with a decent amp. The tuners are non-locking Kluson-style tuners. Included with the guitar is a very nice hardshell case, as well as a truss rod adjustment Tool that is very handy for use as a screwdriver. // 9

Sound: The 490R/498T pickups don't fit my Vintage style all that well. The neck pickup with tone turned down to about 7 will give a nice late-'60s sound, and the bridge pickup does give some nice crunch for harder classic rock. However, if you are into Vintage-style music, it would be best to Switch pickups or get a different model SG, such as the Gibson SG '61 Reissue. I use my SG with a Peavey Classic 30. The pickups don't give the best clean sound. They are wax-potted, so you don't get terrible feedback with high gain settings. This guitar can do a wide variety of genres, but it is only passable in some. Examples of genres include hard rock, metal, classic rock, punk rock, and modern styles of rock. It is best for modern sounds. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: I did not buy this guitar from a shop, but I did buy it used in very nice condition. The setup on the guitar when I received it from the original owner was about how I like it. I currently have it set up with Gibson's factory specifications, and it seems to be a good setting. There are no flaws concerning finish, oxidation, bad soldering connections, etc. It was perfect from the factory. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This guitar can take a beating. You really don't have to worry about anything going wrong on stage, unless you happen to have rough bridge saddles or nut slots, which could lead to string breakage if left rough. I have had no troubles with the strap buttons, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to get a set of Schaller strap locks for extra security. I would feel safe gigging with this guitar without a backup. The finish is quite lasting, and it still looks Brand New after two years of use. // 10

Overall Impression: I play classic rock and blues-rock, and this guitar can handle these styles decently, but I am replacing the pickups very soon. I have three years of playing experience. Other items of gear that I own include the following: Peavey Classic 30, Carvin Bolt, and a 1977 Aria steel-string acoustic guitar. If this guitar somehow left my possession, I would probably buy a Gibson SG '61 Reissue, or another one of these. I love the overall feel of the instrument. The only things I dislike are the pickups and the pots and caps, which will be replaced shortly. I chose this guitar because it has a neck that isn't terribly thin and because the price was right. If it came with '57 Classics or other Vintage-style, low-output pickups, I'd like it better, but it's a great guitar how it is. This thing will be staying with me for a long time, so I thought I'd just share how great it is. // 10

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on november 09, 2012 3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Features: This was a Summer 2004 Gibson SG made here in the USA like most of them. It had 22 frets and the neck was pretty wide as usual SGs come. I really like the Gibson pickups with the nickel covers. They sound great. The Gibson tuners come out of tune slightly If I haven't played it for awhile. The Gibson Hardshell case came with it, and that is really durible. It dropped off the top of our car when we were going down the road at about 30 miles an hour and it stood up really well. The lock on it was the only thing that broke. There's the 3-way selector and 2 volume and 2 tone nobs. There's the tune-o-matic bridge on it which is nice. // 10

Sound: It suits rock (and all under rock, such as metal, punk etc.) very well. I also play Jazz, and that works out very well with it. It has a very rich sound. It has alot of variety because you can play from Metallica to The Beatles. All the pedals I use are Boss. I use the "Metal Zone", looping pedal, tremlo, all that I use a Crate GXS series. I have the 65 watt for home and then the larger 200-something watts one for gigs. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The factory settings on the Tune-O-Matic bridge were quite bad, because what would happen if you use firmer picks, the string would split where it rested on the tuneomatic bridge. This can be fixed by rasing the stopbar tailpiece, though. // 6

Reliability & Durability: I have already played this live several times, with no backup. My gigs have been from 1 song to 2 hours long. Everything that should last seems like it's going to last. The finish is great. Just polish it up and it's good to go. I took one strap button out and put it in the top horn, and that's working out quite well. // 10

Overall Impression: I play in a cover band that does stuff from Green Day to Led Zepplin. I also play in a Metal band, and at school I play in a Jazz group the school had formed. What I love about it is the wide neck because I have fairly large hands and it doesen't feel cramped to me. I compared it to a Fender Stratocaster, The Gibson SG Special, Gibson SG Supreme, and Fender Telecaster. I compared it to all of these because I didn't know which SG to get, and before I was seriously thinking about getting an SG, I had to compare it with others. I wouldnt buy it again, because they're too expensive, and I have a Les Paul that I've been wanting to use for awhile, but that I've limited to recording only. I also sort of want to get a Fender Strat, anyway. I've been playing for 10 years (I'm about to be 15). I chose the SG because I loved AC/DC and their sound, and I wanted it. // 8

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
GibsonRocker14, on november 09, 2012 3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 1300

Purchased from: Bizzare Guitar

Features: My Gibson SG is a 2004 SG Standard. It was made where most of them are made in the USA. It is a 22 fretted beauty and I don't think many would disagree. It has a rosewood finger board that is about 24" long. The body is made out of a solid piece of Mahogany and is one of the most awesome looking bodies out there. It is cut perfectly making it easy to reach all 22 frets. Not to mention it has a nice shiney gloss. Also included with my Gibson SG was a Tune-O-Matic bridge, 490R Alnico Magnet Humbuckers on the neck, 498T Alnico Magnet Humbucker on the bridge, Gibson deluxe tuners, 3-way Switch, and two volume, two tone controls. My Gibson also came with a solid Gibson case that has a combination lock and is superiorly durable. // 10

Sound: The Gibson puts out the perfect sound for whatever style of music u like. Personally I'm more of a metal head and this guitar gets the job done. But I have played some classical, punk, blues, jazz, Indie ect. and it sounds fantastic! I'm currently using a Marshall 30 watt with a DigiTech Hot Head Stomp pedal plugged into my SG and it gives me every sound I want. I Can pinch, tap, scratch, finger pick, bend ect. and everything comes out clear as day. This Guitar can give u the perfect sound for your style of music. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: I don't have much to say about how the guitar was manufactured. So far I haven't noticed any flaws whatsoever. The tuners stay tuned. And the pickups sound great! In my opinion, it's one of the best sounding guitars out there // 10

Reliability & Durability: This is in the top 3 most dependable guitars I've ever played. I've never had any problems with the strap slipping off while playing on stage and so far there is no noticeable wear and tear and I've had it for over a year. All the hardware is still intact and I haven't had to change anything (except strings of course). This guitar will probably out live me if it is taken care of properly. // 10

Overall Impression: One of the best guitars out there by far! Start saving your money! // 10

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
separanets, on november 09, 2012 2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 1100

Purchased from: alltime.ru

Features: Gibson SG Standard, Ebony, 2004, Nashville, USA, 22 frets, mahogany, Tune-O-Matic, a pair of Gibson Modern Classic pickups - 498T/490R, the Brite Wire strings (10-46). I came in a proprietary Vintage case labeled with a "Gibson" and had still kept the smell of wood or a workshop. I also found a small holdfast wrench and a short manual in the case and they both came in useful for me, yes! As for the rest, you can find it at Gibson.com. // 10

Sound: The sound is just fine, so concentrated and it hits outright like Mike Tyson's right jab. I use a tube amp and Maxon tube stampboxes with some Vintage boosters. Well, let's see what contributes to this sound in general. The mahogany body and the pickups. I don't like to turn on both pickups at a time, so I can tell you about each one separately. The neck pickup is very good for blues, very fat and compliant, you can hear it clearly and it has very good sustain. However, it does not sound like a Strat or something. I mean it's no crystal sound. It has its own massive tone, very expressive and defined, but for crystal tone you may want to put P-90's or some other singles. The bridge pickup gives more brightness, but still one may find it be a bit too dull, because a 498T has less treble. However, it's not an obstacle for it at all to be as crunching as a rosined bow. I'd say this guitar is a sort of Baritone or viola instruments; a cello, not a violin. So if you want some squesky tone, you perhaps don't have deal with Mahogany. The clean sound is also massive and thick and it does not ring like a bell, but it sings like a bird. Again, you can find it a bit coarse and harsh, but wait, the modern tone is not as tender, I must say. I even tried to put a Seymour Duncan SH-4 in place of my 498T, but it definitely lost in tone. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: It came too unadjusted: the neck was too sagged and the strings were too far away form the fingerboard, somewhere about 7 mm. If I came across such an rough instrument in a store, I would definitely past it by. A guy Who brought my SG to me said that it was just Gibson, so they didn't even check those guitars. So I needed to use the Tool and manual that they provided with the guitar in order to adjust it. Fortunately, with the Tone-o-Matic it was a kid's play to put it to order, though it took me some time to tune the strings' lengths. It stays in tune very well, but the first string sometimes gets lower. The neck. The neck is my cup of tea, no words to add. As for the rest it's ok, may be I'd have bought a sunburst model, had they been in the same price. Anyway, whatever guitar I've owned in my life, they have always proved to be black colored. That's becoming a litle funny, isn't it? I like it when a plughole for a jack is on the upper deck, you can use an angle jack then. It will be more reliable. Another thing is this: when you play standing upright, an SG seems not as comfortable as a Les Paul, because the distance between the ends of the belt is much shorter and you feel a bit confined. So it will take you some while to get used to an SG after your Les Paul. In this nomination, alas, shapes like Jackson dinky-soloists or Ibanez RG's win totally. // 8

Reliability & Durability: Too early to draw a conclusion. I would not dare drop it on the floor. The switch works softly. No backup is needed. It also has some protection pellicle on the upper deck. The time will show. Seems rather reliable. // 10

Overall Impression: I've been playing over 20 years and I don't know what inspired me to buy this SG Standard, since the SG was the last type I might take a glance at. When my guitar arrived, my first impression was strongly negative; its tone seemed too dark for me, opaque and stupid, after an LP and Jackson Soloist Standard I owned; but the longer I played, the less upset I was. It IS very balanced. I owned a Japanese Jackson as well, and a custom LP, and some other manually crafted guitars and my SG beats them all. Many people complain this model sounds messy, soapy, dark, no clarity, but that depends on what you mean by this. What's wrong with it, if your chords sound powerfully like one monolithic instrument or if your tone doesn't scratch the air? You know, it may be like the Ugly Duckling, the better your gear is, the nicer your guitar will sound. Yes, I was forced to get rid of my old gear and buy a tube amp with tube stamp-boxes and boosters. From what experts told me, the range of 490 pickups will show its worth only on an excellent gear. Besides, the better way is to go to a store and select one guitar after checking out a bunch of similar ones. Well, now I have an impression that it will be more difficult for me to pick up the similar guitar than it used to be. I have had time to come to love with this tone. For some heavy stuff I will get maybe a Flying V once upon a time, but for blues and rock I may install P-90's in place the 490s, but only on a new SG. If it were stolen I think I'd considered an SG Supreme or another Standard. // 10

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
UG Team, on november 09, 2012 1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 1200

Purchased from: Mars Music

Features: This is a recently made guitar-made in the USA. It has 22 frets, and a laminated top. Mine is a shiny ebony. It comes with the gibson-brand tuners but i suggest goin straight to Grovers. Its got the maplewood neck with the pearl box inlays. Jumbo frets and a fat neck. It comes with a case with a cool pink furry inside and here are some more features-
Body/Mahogany
Neck/Profile
Mahogany/Rounded
Fingerboard/Pearl box Inlay
Rosewood/Trapezoid
Scale/Nut Width
243/4"/111/16"
Binding
Fingerboard
Bridge/Tailpiece
Tune-o-matic/Stopbar
Hardware/Chrome
Pickups/
490R Alnico magnet humbucker
498T Alnico magnet humbucker
Controls/
Two volume, two tone, three-way Switch
Strings/
Brite Wires .009-.042
// 10

Sound: I have been playing all sorts of styles-rock, metal, blues-and this guitar works great for each one. With the 3-way channel-switching and the 2 tone controls- you can pretty much get this thing anywhere from a warm, fat sounding blues appeal all the way to a tangy, Nirvana-type sound.
I use a BOSS metalzone distortion pedal and a Digitech Flanger, as well as my amps' built in overdrives. I got this thing running through a Marshall MG100HDFX head and a Marshall 1960A cab. I also play through a Marshall MG30DFX combo when im not with the band. Either way this guitar gives out a rich sound for whatever style i choose to play. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: When I first bought this guitar the shop told me to bring it back in a week or so so that they could make any adjustments. So I came back and got the bridge raised a tad. One of the Gibson factory pickups was a little loose so I got that taken care of too. Other than those couple things, this guitar was lookin pretty good. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I've been playing with this guitar live for about 9 months, and ive owned it for about 11. I replaced the Gibson strap buttons with strap-locks, but even befor that it hadn't fallen. The finish seems good enough to last me a long time (which i plan on having this for), and ive used this for virtually every show without a backup, the strings hardly even break. The only thing that sucks about this guitar is that it seems to get out of tune a bit faster than my others, but i think the sound quality makes up for that. // 10

Overall Impression: I've been playing guitar for about 4 years and this one for about one. I also own an ESP ex300 or something, i dont remember the model name really, but the Gibson sounds much better (however, the ESP was half the price). If this got stolen or lost id be pissed as hell, and id probably get another. My favorite feature is the clean sound. I'd suggest this for anyone who's looking for a versatile guitar that they can take on the road and not have to worry about. // 10

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on november 09, 2012 1 of 8 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 950

Purchased from: eBay

Features: It's made in the USA with a choice of a Heritage Cherry or an Ebony finish. It's made out of mahogany (a very dark warm sounding wood) and has a rosewood fretboard with pearl inlays. It sports two hot humbuckers that sound great for lead (but horrible for rythm) and has a three way selector Switch. Decent tuners and decent bridge. // 8

Sound: Horrible. It sounds great for lead. Single notes really sing. But is has the clarity of a midget screaming in the middle of a bee hive with acid punk playing in the background. Ok strange analogy but seriously chords sound like crap. I mean when you hit a g chord it sounds like a mess of sound. Even power chords have no clarity. Also it's clean is horrible. Very bassy with again no clarity whatsoever. If your shredding and playing fast solos then it's alright but in every genre of music you will have to play chords eventually and this doesn't cut it not even for power chords. You're wondering. Why is he complaining about it when hardly anyone else is complaining. Here's why I have played many guitar in this pricerange. Fenders, Ibanezes, ESPs you name it. Compared to those this guitar sounds like crap. I even changed out the pickups to 57' classic and it was definetly an improvement but if you are going to pay over 1k for a guitar you shouldn't have to change it's pickups just to get a decent sound out of it. // 3

Action, Fit & Finish: Well I ordered it from eBay used and it was totally fine. Finish is perfect no flaws to see. It really is a great looking guitar but it's such a shame that is has such bad pickups. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I can see this guitar going through a lot. Since it has a set neck I wouldn't dare put it through near anything I would put a Fender through. Set necks snap easier than my mother when she doesn't take her meds. But I dropped it on the floor twice when I was leaning to adjust my amp and the nicks were very minor. It's definetly well built. The finish is also really nice it doesn't seem to wear off easily at all. // 9

Overall Impression: Everything is fine but the sound. Everyone is right about gibsons they are overatted. My Ibanez RG1570 with stock pickups is seriously better than this and it is almost half the price AND it comes with a locking tremolo. Let's just face it. With gibsons you are paying for what's on the headstock. Not for how the guitar sounds. I really wanted to like this guitar because I think it's a cool looking guitar and has a nice feel but even with the pickup change it's still underwhelming. What a shame. // 4

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
Mikeyw1233, on november 09, 2012 1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Price paid: £ 799

Purchased from: London Guitar Show

Features: My SG was made in 2006 (4 days after my birthday exactly! ), in America. It features the Standard 22 frets on a rosewood fingerboard, on a rounded profile. The guitar is mahogany in the body and neck, which keeps the guitar very light, in conjunction with the thin body, and provides a bright 'honking' sound. The finish is Heritage cherry which I think is the nicest finish for an SG but it also comes in ebony and natural burst. It has a tune-o-matic bridge, which keeps the guitar in tune very well, but you have to be a bit careful when restringing because it can fall off and damage the guitar. The controls are the usual 2 tone knobs, 2 volume knobs and the 2 way pickups selector Switch. The pickups on the Standard are: a Gibson 498T in the bridge and a Gibson 490R in the neck, these both provide very versatile sounds. The tuners are Standard Gibson Deluxe ones, so nothing special there. The guitar also included a Gibson hard case. // 9

Sound: I play mostly classic rock (AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Queen etc) and also a bit of blues, mainly Eric Clapton and Cream and the guitar is suited for both of this styles. I play it through a Marshall AVT150, usually with no effects but I use my Crybaby Wah with it sometimes and a Boss OS-2 for a bit of a boost. The guitar itself provides a bright, honking sound which is quite versatile. Of course the guitar is perfect for AC/DC and really nails Angus' tone. I especially like this guitar for Cream era Clapton tones, using both pickups with the tone knobs rolled back, it can really get that 'woman' tone. The guitar also handles the heavier stuff I play such as Iron Maiden and a little bit of Metallica, but it may not handle much heavier than that and probably not great for shredders. When played clean, it gets a really nice warm sound on the neck pickup and quite a twangy sound on the bridge. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar was set-up fairly well for me. I adjusted the action slightly to suit me better. The pickups were fine and have required no adjusting. The finish is fine and the only marks are ones that I has got from some fairly heavy playing from me. The electronics are also fine. The only problem I noticed was a small mark on the top of the pickup control, but I am not sure whether that was from the factory as I only really noticed it after a few days, so it could have been me. Also the jack socket has a tendency to come a bit loose but I can usually just screw it back with my fingers. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I have never gigged this guitar so I am not entirely sure about Live playing but I feel it would survive as it is a very sturdy and robust guitar. The hardware has had no problems so far, so I feel it will last quite well but I have managed to chip one of the volume knobs somehow but that can be replaced quite cheaply- I just haven't yet. I have knocked it a few times and there have no marks, dents or other problems, so I feel it would survive if played Live. It also seems to stay in tune well, so that is also a good point. The finish seems good and hard wearing and there have been no marks in it so far. The strap buttons have also had no problems. The hard case that is included is also very sturdy and would probably cost 40+ in the shops, so that helps to keep the guitar in good condition. // 10

Overall Impression: As I stated earlier I play classic rock and blues and this guitar has been the best thing to happen to me and is perfectly suited for me. Before this I was playing some very bad no-named Strat copy, that was dreadful and I leap from something like that to an SG is amazing. When I bought this, I originally planed to by the SG Special but I saw this and just preferred it almost every way- it looks nicer, feels nicer and sounds better. I also compared to the Les Paul Studio but again I prefer the look of SGs and I don't like playing Les Pauls too much because of the weight. I love the lightweight SG and when I play my friends Epiphone Les Paul, I can't believe how heavy it seems. If it was stolen or lost (not sure how you lose a guitar! ) I would probably buy a new one - if I had the money! Sometimes I wish it had a whammy bar because I would like it to play with and I think the Vintage SGs with whammy bars look great. My favourite things about this guitar are the lightweight body and versatile sound, which I both suited perfectly to me. // 10

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
Albino_Rhino, on november 09, 2012 1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 1065.71

Purchased from: Long & McQuade

Features: This is a 2008 Gibson SG Standard, made in USA! It has a 22 fret mahogany neck, '60s style. Solid mahogany body, the colour, Heritage cherry, is gorgeous. It has a Tune-O-Matic bridge, and Standard Gibson tuners (which hold tune well, so far). It has 2 passive humbuckers, 490T and 498T. It came from the factory with a form-fitting, combination locking hardshell case, which is very nice. // 9

Sound: It sounds great for rock, blues, and even prog metal. I'm playing it through a Vox AD30VT, and either a Zakk Wylde MXR or Boss OD-3, or a CryBaby Wah. On the treble setting, it seems just about perfect. It's not too bright, but not dull. I find it perfect for stuff like Zeppelin, AC/DC (obviously) and other rock. On the rythym setting, it's kind of dull. I don't like it too much. I mostly keep that side turned all the way down, and Switch between rythym and treble for a killswitch effect. // 7

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar was set up perfectly from the factory, but I will take in in to the shop anyway, hey it's free. The pickups are good, the bridge was a little bit too close to the strings in my opinion. Everything on the guitar is build perfectly, the finish was great from the factory. Everything seems to be really good quality, flawless. // 10

Reliability & Durability: The guitar is so light, yet very solid too. It feels very high quality. The hardware all seems really solid and durable, and the strap buttons are fine. I would never play a gig without a backup, but if I absolutely had to, then I would use this for sure. // 10

Overall Impression: Overall, this is just a perfect guitar for someone like me. I have been playing for 4 years, but I'm not really that good. I have the technical skills, but no vast knowledge of scales, theory etc. For someone Who knows they for sure love guitar, and will continue to play, you can not go wrong with a Gibson SG! This is great for playing all the classic rock like Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton (especially his Deric and the Dominoes stuff), AC/DC, the list goes on. It's versatile, in that it can play Strat songs like Jimi Hendrix thihngs, and still sound good. Also it is good for prog rock and other things like Rage Against The Machine. All in all, a very very versatile guitar! Compared to my Epiphone and Yamaha, well, it is so much better in every way. If this a step up from your first or second guitar, then you will not be disappointed! If this were stolen or broken or something, I would not hesitate to buy another. // 9

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
Fitzpatrick, on november 09, 2012 1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Price paid: € 999

Purchased from: The Music Outlet

Features: My SG is a 2008 Standard, and it was hand made in the U.S.A. (Like all Gibsons). It has 22 frets, the neck is really fat, probably one of the fattest necks you'll find on a guitar. It's a solid body guitar, made with mahogany. With two cutaways the upper frets are easily accessed. It has a Tune-O-Matic bridge, there are two volume knobs and two tone knobs, and a three way pickup selector Switch. The tuners are Gibson Deluxes, they are non-locking. I got a Gibson U.S.A. Hard case and an owners manual with this guitar. The case also has a handy little storage compartment you can put picks, spare strings, tuners, capos, slides and other useful accessories. // 9

Sound: I play mostly classic and hard rock and the occasional bit of metal, and I couldn't find a better guitar suited to those genres. I play a lot of AC/DC, and of course, it can deliver that killer Angus Young tone. I only have a Roland Micro Cube at home but I have played it through proper Marshall stacks and it just sounded absolutely amazing, I think Marshall's are the best amp to play this guitar through. I think an SG sounds best with as much treble and brightness as possible, I nearly always play with the bridge pickup. The strings I use are Gibson Brite Wires, and they do me fine. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Well it was set up perfectly in the factory, and when I say perfect, I mean perfect (Well, nearly perfect!). The pickups were fine as they were, the action was perfect, the strings always stay in tune (my other guitar which is a Cort M600 goes out of tune really easily so that is really annoying), nothing was wrong with it. I haven't had to adjust anything once since I got it. Although there was a minor dent in the neck around the fourth fret, so that's why I am docking a couple of marks from this section. It is hardly noticeable though, and I'm sure that only happens to one in every million guitars at the Gibson factory, so don't let that put you off buying one! // 8

Reliability & Durability: This guitar will definitely withstand Live playing, I have accidentally hit it off some things like table and furniture corners a few times and it crashed to the ground in the case but it didn't damage the guitar at all. The hardware is very durable and well made, they will last a long long time. The strap buttons seem solid enough, I am certainly not paranoid over the strap buttons, I don't use strap locks either. It's made by Gibson, it's one of the most reliable and durable guitars on the market so of course I would use it at a gig without a backup. The finish hasn't faded or worn since I got it and it doesn't seem like it's going to fade much either. // 10

Overall Impression: As I said before, I mostly play hard rock and this guitar is perfectly suited to my style. The only other electric guitar I had before I got this was a Cort M600, which isn't a patch on the SG. If it were stolen or lost I would definitely buy it again (Providing I had the money for it). What I love about this guitar is that it's just so comfortable to play and is my perfect guitar, it is really easy to get the tones you want from it and it looks really cool as well. I don't hate anything about it, and I wouldn't change anything with it, for me, it's perfect. When I was buying this guitar, I was strongly considering a Les Paul Studio, which was a much heavier guitar and I felt that when I played it, it just wasn't the right guitar for me. // 10

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
mtgit, on january 28, 2013 1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Price paid: £ 799

Purchased from: Music Junkie

Features: 2012 Gibson SG Standard, USA made, 24 frets, solid mahogany body in cherry nitro, the neck is not as chunky as the early ones but not skinny either somewhere inbetween. Tune-o-matic bridge, Gibson modern type pups(490T I think), 2 tone 2 vol. Knobs, classic Gibson tulip type tuners(green) and a nice solid hardcase, black well fitting with white faux fur interior. It also comes with a little Gibson booklet and a truss rod adjustment tool and sports a set of Gibson 10 gauge strings, which I changed for D'Adds 10's. // 9

Sound: I am a Strat player by choice and a single coil enthusiast but have always wanted something to play AC/DC, Led Zep Type stuff on and have tried many a SG and LP but never fell in love until I tried this. I plugged it into a Fender Blues Jnr in the shop and wow!... It felt good in the hands too! Not too bright with a subtle bass and a mid roar that left me shivering. It has sustain to die for and is very resonant. I am very surprised and pleased with the variety of tonal settings and found myself equally happy to play clean jazzy type stuff aswell as blues to raw rock filth, the latter without losing too much of the guitar's own character. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: One of the concerns I have always had with Gibsons that I have tried, is the fact they all seemed to be inconsistent in their set-ups and general build. This is one of the reasons I had not had one before, for any length of time, as I always seemed to find something that wasn't right. This one however seemed to be bang-on! Nice low action, stayed in tune and up until now, 3 months later, I have found absolutely no fault with it in terms of build quality and playability. The neck was an important factor for me as I am not a lover of big fat tree-trunk necks. I prefer a thin neck, most of my Strats have V necks but this one on the 2012 SG feels really nice to me although it is still chunky compared to my Strats. // 10

Reliability & Durability: It seems like a tough enough thing and reliable except for one little thing, whilst practising one day the bridge pup suddenly went quiet, I fiddled with the knobs, tapped the pup and pulled my lead in and out, then it just came back to life and has been fine ever since(weird). Apart from that the guitar looks and feels as if it would survive a tour or 10. I have a cautious eye on the tuners but again they have been ok but I think I will stick some quality locking tuners on there. I will probably change pups too for some more classic type HB's, 59's or similar but that is purely a taste issue and not putting down the pups it came with. // 8

Overall Impression: I play mainly Blues based classic rock lead and rhythm guitar through Marshall and Engl amps and have found this guitar to be a lot more versatile than I had previously thought. It cleans up nicely and can achieve thunder on request and plenty inbetween. As I mentioned before I have tried and borrowed and even bought various Gibbo's before and had always found them wanting in some area but this one really has surprised me. I hasten to add, that I did try a few other Standards in the past and the same faults applied. I think with this one I just went to right shop at right time and landed on my feet. I have a USA 1996 Standard Strat, an Eric Johnson RW sig. Strat and a couple of decent Squiers, an Engl Screamer 50w, and a Marshall 2266C 50w and have been playing for 35yrs ish. My ratings are based purely on the guitar I bought and I would strongly suggest trying as many as possible before buying to avoid disappointment. On reflection after many, many, spontaneous purchases I would advise trying rigorously any guitar before buying as it will save a lot of time, money and moral deflation in the long run, believe me I know, lol. // 10

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on november 09, 2012 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 899

Purchased from: Witchita Band, KS

Features: This is the most recent purchase and definetly one of my favorites. Made in the USA in 2003, I've had this guitar since last October without any major problems. Classic Alnico pickup with chrome covers and beautiful inlays as well as a solid mahogany body made me choose this one instead of the SG Special. Also came with Gibson HSC with locking feature. It was well worth it. 22 frets and a rosewood fretboard make this easy to play and sounds great. // 8

Sound: It's a Gibson, enough said. It sounds amazing compared to my old Squire Strat. Fills in great for both lead and rhytmn, clean or distorted. I can't say much about it because all I have is a crummy practice an with low grade distortion, but even through the Fender Frontman amps you can see a clearly superiour sound than most guitars that get plugged in there. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: When ordered, I specifically asked for low action without fret buzzing. Well I got the low action, but I had to redo the setup myself more than a few times to get it to stop buzzing. The tuning knobs on the saddle are very hard to adjust. I got it done eventually, but the action ended up a little higher than I wanted. // 6

Reliability & Durability: This is definitely the guitar you want to take along with you live on stage. Everything is built solid and the finish looks fantastic! I don't expect any problems from this one for years. // 10

Overall Impression: I got everything I wanted out of this purchase, for the price you can defenitly not get anything better. I've been playing for about 2 years, and although it's a big buy for someone who hasn't been playing that long I don't regret it. If I would have to buy it again, I might go for the 61 re-issue or the Supreme, since I *love* those pickups, but it would defenitly be another SG. // 10

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
geevess, on november 09, 2012 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Features: I bought this guitar last year for $1600 it is a 1994 model and was still in excellent condition when I got it. It came with a soft case which I instantly replaced with hard case because I wasn't going to let anything happen to it. The Gibson has a 3-way Switch to choose between Treble, Rhythm and whatever is in between. It has 4 knobs 2 tone and 2 volumes to control the pickups, this is perfect for me. It has the traditional SG cherry red finish. This guitar has a perfect size neck, solos are a breeze with this guitar. // 10

Sound: I play different types of music, jazz, blues, rock, heavy rock, soft rock, and the guitar can accommodate to every type. Some of the music sounds better on Treble and others on Rhythm. This guitar can give you any sound you desire you can get a bright sound with it and on different settings you can get great darker sounds. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar is still in perfect nick the only problem with it is that one of the stickers that say tone have fallen off. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This guitar is a great guitar and stays in fairly good shape over the years except it has one main flaw, the strings break after about 2 weeks of playing. They never last more than 2-4 weeks even with the heaviest strings. If you are going to gig with this guitar take lots of extra strings. // 6

Overall Impression: Overall the Gibson SG is a world standard guitar, used by many artists so by saying that it must be a great guitar. If it were stolen I would probably look for another Gibson guitar but not necessarily the SG. Overall its a great guitar! // 8

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
easwaran, on november 09, 2012 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 1580

Purchased from: Singapore

Features: Made in 2001 in USA. 22 frets, solid. Mahogany with a rosewood finger board. The finish is a limited edition, called the Natural Burst. Thats why I paid a hefty amount for the guitar. I still havent found another guy with the same finish. // 10

Sound: The sound is beautiful, especially when you got a good amp. Damn, its suits all kinds of music. And I played nu metal, with the low end sounds. This guitar was crisp enough to give my distortion a clarity that other guitars couldn't. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Factory settings were very good. I still havent deviated from the original settings for anything. Flawless guitar! // 10

Reliability & Durability: Its pretty good but the pickup Switch writings wore off. Can replace that piece of plastic but I wasnt happy that Gibson of all brands would put such a cheap print for the writing. Other than that, its a bit of a delicate guitar, you dont want to bang it on hard objects. But otherwise no problems while playing. // 8

Overall Impression: Overall, its a kick ass guitar. Nice and light with a smooth feel and clear tones. Very impressive guitar. // 10

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
vercetti50, on november 09, 2012 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 832

Purchased from: Ebay Dude

Features: This is a 2003 Gibson SG Standard and I absolutely love it. It was made right here in USA and has a solid top. The finish is a black gloss finish and looks great even after the brutal abuse I have given this thing. It has a tune-o-matic bridge and keeps tune preety well but I wish it would stay longer. The tuners are Gibson and are the nickle color. The one bad thing about this guitar is that it needs its strings to be changed way to fast. In about 2 weeks they need to be changed again. // 8

Sound: I play things like AC/DC and Van Halen and it sounds realy realy realy good with all the AC/DC songs or anything to that matter except for anything quiet like an acoustic song. I use this guitar with a Crate GLX65 amp and maybe it is just the sound quality of the amps clean channel but the clean sounds just average. The sounds like pinch harmonics and regular harmonics are sounding great. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: I can't really tell you how well the guitar was set up at the factory but I had to readjust the frets on the neck but other than that just minor things like adjusting the bridge. The pickups couldn't be anybetter than they are now. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I have to say that I at least put 4 hours into playin this thing every day and I absolutely demolish this thing and I'll tell you now this thing can resist the biggest beating you can give it. To me the strap buttons seem fine to me cause I have never had a problem with them. I do use my Epiphone Les Paul Special 2 to play if I am learning songs and that guitar is great but I don't think you need a backup for this guitar. The finish is lasting the test of time even though its been one year. // 10

Overall Impression: Overall this guitar kicks major ass and if you can afford a standard get one, not a special, these sound 40 times better and maybe I have only been playin for almost a year I know what I'm doing. I do wish that I would of asked who the hell came up with this idea for this awesome guitar and how to personaly thank him. If someone stole this from me I would track him down and bruttaly beat him so dont try it. I love that it has the 2 tone and 2 volume for both channels and I did compare it to getting a Les Paul but I have wanted an SG since I ever started. If it had a tremelo I would be so much happier. // 10

Sound: I got this thing for the true Gibson humbucking tone and the body style that a lot of my role models have like Angus Young, Pete Townshend, Tony Iommi, and a few others. I play it through (don't make fun of me) a Marshall Valvestate 10 and I was suprised at how versatile it was. I can do piched hamonics like crazy and get that Vintage punch and that grunge sound by jet changing how I hit the strings. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: The SG was set up high and the action is perfect for my little hands, no flaws whatsoever and like I said everything is perfect no fretbuzz no noise on the pickup selector and feedback when I want it. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This thing would withstand bashing against a steel floor, the hardware will definately last and the finish will last also, the strap buttons are good quality, I would gig with this guitar without a backup anyday, it holds tune for about 5 hours after. // 10

Overall Impression: I play AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and other hard rock wich this thing is made for. I have been playing for 3 years with a peice of s--t and this Gibson was a breath of fresh air. If it were stolen I would run him down beat the fu--ing s--t out of the sorry bastard, I compared it to an American Strat and a Les Paul Studio and they just couldn't compete. // 10

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
callumirvine, on november 09, 2012 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 1701.9

Purchased from: georges music

Features: This may be a bit off as I am only 13, but I will try to use the best of my ability to explain the guitar to the full extent. This beautiful guitar come with 4 pots (2 tone/2 volume). The body is a great red mahogany following the red theme all along the fretboard and back of neck. It came with 2 double coil humbucking pickups. // 10

Sound: This suits my music style perfectly as I do rock/metal through a Marshall MG30DFX and Boss MD-2 Mega Distorion pedal. It has a full rich noisy sound, one problem tho. If you haven't got the amplification louder enough you can head this high "pinging" as the guitar makes a loud noise when not plugged in. But this can easily be avoided. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: So far all I have had to do to the guitar is fix the strap buttons as it fell off my strap a few times on numerous straps (different makes and sizes). As I have not got that much experience I didn't notice much wrong with it till m mate told me the pickups were a bit wobbely but I fixed this myself in a matter of minutes. That is the way this guitar is produced, very very easy to maintain! // 9

Reliability & Durability: I have never played live so I don't really know how to answer these questions as I just explained about the loose strap buttons. But I can say that if I did have to gig I would trust the guitar and not take a backup. // 10

Overall Impression: I think this guitar is the best I have ever seen and/or owned. I have been playing with it for 2 years and it is still in perfect condition. If it was stolen I would try to get it again but I have got my heart set on the Gibson Les Paul Standard but that is a bit to much ofr me to afford as I will buy this back with insurance. I wouldn't compare it with any other guitar as that would be an insult it is so good! // 10

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
GibsonBarracuda, on november 09, 2012 0 of 1 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 252.8

Purchased from: Mother Music

Features: This is a great guitar with a great look. It has a Satan Cherry body with a single pick guard. Bolt on assembly. With mohogany finger board and a satan cherry neck. It also has a Tune-O-Matic bridge with a stopbar. 498T Alnico magnet humbucker at the bridge and 490R Alnico magnet humbucker at the base of the neck, it has a Schaller Green Key tuner and also 22 Frets, a 3-way toggle with 2 volume and tone controlls. // 7

Sound: It is most suited for a little bit country and a hole hell of alot of rock and roll! It has a good rich sound for solo play and great conversion for heavy metal choruses. One draw back for if you a beginner is if you dont know how to set your guitar for strings you may get a rattle if you use to heavy of gage of strings. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: From the factory the Gibson comes glossy and perfect the pick ups were adjusted no faulty wirering basically no flaws. The finish is the best no scratchs or warping. // 10

Reliability & Durability: The durability is above standard, but its strengh against little brothers isnt to great (I kick the shit out of him). It's been reliable in every sense and it stength is awesome. I can swing it from my strap and the srap will smap before the buttons. // 7

Overall Impression: I play metal and rock and its suited for the band that play heavy and hard. I've had my Gibson for 4 month and from converting from play an acoustic to an electric with so much integredy is awesome! If some would have stolen it id hunt them down and beat them with a Fender because they are crap so the should be used to hit crap such as the person who stole it. But if I had to I'd most definatly a buy another if I was confined on cash, but my love is for "Warlocks, Zombies, and ESP Ax-50s and Ex-50s. // 9

Sound: The SG has this ability to sound a hundred different ways just by adjusting the volume and tone knobs. With the bridge pickup selected, I can literally go from metal to rock to Indie to whatever. It is very versatile, although it is not that great at heavy metal. The pickups are pretty beefy, but it has a somewhat fuzzy quality that won't give you that razor edge scooped sound that modern metal demands. Very quiet; the nickel covers cancel most hum. However, this is a very warm guitar; it will not give you a thin clean sound like a single coil will. The only complaint I have is that I wish the clean sound had a little more treble to it; sometimes it lacks the high end to cut through a live band. Also, the pick up Switch gets a bit rattley after about half a year of use when in the middle position. Finally, the pickups don't have much sustain, unless an effect is used or a Fernandes sustainer is installed. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: The strings it came with wore out pretty quickly, so I use Dean Markleys or whatever else I can get my hands on. The action when I first got it was perfect; even to this day I haven't adjusted it. Absolutely no fret buzz. The neck pickup was set a little low, but I like the neck humbucker to be a little quieter so I left it there. The finish was flawless, and the clear lacquer coat saved the actual mahogany from countless gouges and scrapes. Because of this clear layer of lacquer it's very easy and cheap to repair the finish. The frets are smooth and flow with the rosewood fretboard nicely. The stock tuners are pretty decent, although the G string is still somewhat notorious for pulling sharp, even with graphite rubbed in the nut slot. Note: The strap button is placed on the back of the neck where it meets the body. This poses no problem for people who stand still and play. However, the rockers out there who like to jump around should definitely get strap locks. The only flaw I found in the body was that the guitar is a little top-heavy; if you lean the slightest bit forward without holding the guitar while its on you, the headstock will dip downward, sometimes even to the floor. Be careful of this. // 9

Reliability & Durability: The guitar itself is built for rockin'. I gigged once to two times a week last year on tour and I never had to use a back up. Not even a string broke. The case it comes in is very sturdy and protective, and has a neat little storage space for picks and cables. I've only had the guitar for two years now, but even now I only have a couple of scratches in the finish and some belt rash, which is typical. I'm willing to bet it will last for years to come. // 10

Overall Impression: I play mostly rock, but also hardcore and indie/acoustic. This is my third guitar and I couldn't have asked for more. To be honest, I like it a lot better than most Les Pauls! It's thin, light, and has the balls for rock and roll. Play any AC/DC song through this guitar and you'll be sold. If it were stolen, I'd save up for the same guitar, but maybe in a different finish, say tobacco sunburst or something. I compared this guitar to the lesser Gibson SGs and also to 3 or 4 Les Pauls, and it shined through. Sure, it costs over a grand, but if you have the time and money, and are really going play this guitar to it's limits, it is definitely worth it. I only wish it had more sustain. It seems to be great for rhythm, and is excellent for lead; however, don't expect to get notes ringing out for more than 5 or 6 seconds unless a compressor or something is used. // 9

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
Alvarez41, on november 09, 2012 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 1269

Purchased from: Musicians Friend

Features: It has 22 fets the body is mahogony and the neck is ebony (they somtimes come in rose wood) the ebony complements the pick guard better though. I chose the Heritage Cherry Finish it's very well done some complained of the horns not looking good but mine was. The only thing I had a problemw with was that the intonation was horrible when it came. I re-intonated it myself and now its great. It also comes with a case which is nice. I give it a 9 becuase of the intonation the person must have forgotten to chekc it before they sent it off. And also mine pickup slector won't stay on the rhythm. It falls down, every so often its ok but it seems loose. // 9

Sound: I play ska rock and metal. This thing is amazing for the Iron Maiden style. I use the treble humbucker the most for Distortion. The humbuckers sound great when going back and forth from palm mutes to open chords if youve played one on distortion you know what I mean. It rarely ever gets feedback and I have a 100 watt Marshall and I've turned her up quite a bit. On clean for that ska style I put it on middle for pickup selector. It sounds so bold but it's not in your face this guitar is for the kinda person. Who is very humble I think becuase this guitar sounds very humble but it knows, it's amazing. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The finish is great the action is great. The spacing between the strings is good too. It makes bending strings a lot easier then some of the other electrics I've played. Sometime it coems out of tune but not horribly. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This guitar does with stand like playing. But I wouldn't go throwing this thing around like I said it's a humble guitar for a humble person who focuses on playing. // 10

Overall Impression: I've been playing for 3 years. I just bought one of these cuase I saw a lot of people playing them. I didn't like Fenders evern if Jimi Hendrix played one. I decided to go with Gibson and will not be leaving them. Also these are alot better then the Epi's both in quality and sound. I was very impressed just make sure your intonation is correct when you get it. It's not big deal ESP after you've intonated it it makes it sound even better then before. // 10

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
Cocnut Rag, on november 09, 2012 0 of 1 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 1000

Purchased from: Daves Music

Features: This guitar was made in 2004, made in America. It has 22 frets and 2 humbuckers. Good overall guitar would suit classic rock-heavier styles more than clean elegant music. It's shaped like a Demon what do you expect. // 9

Sound: This babe absolutely screams rock 'n' roll, plug it into a Marshall tube amp and you are on your way to superstardome. I use a variety of effects starting from a MXR Phase 90 and Crybaby Wah Wah to various distortion pedals. For sound this thing is incredible overall and unbeatable in its preffered rock style regions. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Let me tell you something there is no better looking guitar than this insane beast of an axe. Playability is unmatched all frets can be reached with ease due to the double cut away. My only complaint is that it feels a little neck heavy due to its incredibly light body, but you will quickly adjust to this after a few weeks. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Now this is the only thing that killed my love of Gibsons. Now I am quite reckless with guitars. I've abused the shit out of my Tele, Strat, effects pedals and various other musical gear and they have taken alot of pain but still play and sound just as good as ever. The SG was the total opposite to this, I played a few gigs it worked perfectly I dropped it a few times here and ther but it was in damn good condition so I felt relieved that it wasn't gonna be som pussy guitar that cracks after a few tumbles. Now on its 4th gig I was playing the acdc classic thunderstruck when my 15 minutes of fame came (my solo) I began playing but suddenly the piece of shit Tune-O-Matic bridge just in a way jumped out of the guitar causing all the strings to go fuck knows where and making sounds that immitated a defective goose on coke. I was shocked and at that very same time both strap buttons broke and the machine fell to the ground causing the neck to rip in half and the entire guitar fall to pieces. // 1

Overall Impression: Now I know that I got the ugly duckling and not many other people would have experienced this so I'm gonna give the average SG a 9. Overall a rock machine like no other just make sure you put straplocks on and make sure you have a decent bridge and everything should be fine. // 9

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
Gonzo Joe, on november 09, 2012 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 1150

Purchased from: Musician's Friend

Sound: I mainly play Country, Folk, Americana, Jazz, and Blues. Everyone thought I was crazy getting an SG for that style of music, especially to play through a Peavey Triple XXX 212 Combo. However, the guitar has a wonderfully full, mellow sound when played through the clean channel of the amp, with the bass turned up and the highs cut down, and using Gibson Vintage Reissue VR-10 strings, I get such a warm, rich sound that it gives the Gibson ES-137's and ES-335's a run for their money. The stock humbuckers are very quiet and surprisingly clean. They aren't as crisp as the Classic '57 Humbuckers, but they are very close. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar came from the factory set-up perfectly, the inotation was right on the money. The fit and fisish was typical Gibson quality, meaning it was practically flawless. Everything was better than I expected, and I have no complaints in this dept. The guitar was even in tune when I took it out of the case for the first time, and I've found it holds it's tune for an exceptionally long time. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I've been using this guitar regularly for almost two years now, which is a short time in a guitar's life, and so far it has held together just fine. Nothing has loosened, fallen apart, or cracked. The finish is still as good as the day it was new, except for the normal battle scars any guitar gets through normal use. So far the guitar has been 100% dependable, though I've never abused it or dropped it or subjected it to unusual harshness. // 10

Overall Impression: I've been playing guitar for over 20 years, and this is absolutely the best electric guitar I've ever had the pleasure of owning. If lost or stolen I would buy another Gibson SG Standard if on a budget, or if funding was available I'd upgrade to a Gibson Les Paul Standard. I compared this guitar to the Fender American Stratocaster H/H before buying. I went with the Gibson because of the shorter scale and a slightly warmer, richer tone than the Fender. Had I wanted a brighter, sharper sounding guitar I would have gone with the Fender Am-Strat H/H for its sheer tonal versatility. // 10

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
RopesToRafters, on november 09, 2012 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 1119.99

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: 2005 Gibson SG. Made in America. Has 22 beautiful trapezoid mother-of-pearl inlayed frets on a 24.75" Rosewood Neck. Double cut-away "devil horn" solid super light mahogany body makes the neck feel heavier than it is which takes some getting used to. Tune-O-Matic bridge which for some reason contributes to me breaking a lot more strings on this guitar than my Washburn Lyon Strat copy. 2 volume, 2 tone knobs and 3 way toggle Switch. Chrome hardware. 490 & 498T Alnico magnet humbucker pickups. Gibson Deluxe tuners with greenish looking plastic pegs. Came with a nice Gibson USA hardshell exterior, plush interior case with a little compartment for the included truss rod. Also came with a manual and inspection card. // 9

Sound: I play mostly Sabbath-esque doom metal with sprinklings of thrash and blues. This guitar sounds great as far as single string picking with a really crisp but warm sound. It sounds pretty good for chords and strumming but not the best. I think it's the neck pickup which sounds a little too twangy. I use a B-52 AT-100 100 watt amplifier pushing a B-52 412 speaker cab with 4 12" 120 watt speakers. I occasionally play through a Boss MT-2 Metal Zone pedal and this guitar compliments these perfectly with a warm sound on clean and a crushing chunk on gain. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: The neck definitely needs adjustment out of the box and wherever you bought it from should be able to use the included truss rod to modify the neck's bow. The strings are.10 and I prefer a little thicker string so I had to change these but that's just my preference. The pickups were spot on from the factory which was a pleasant surprise. The neck feels great. Sliding between frets is amazingly easy. Now we get to the problems I've experienced. I got this guitar in the ebony (black) finish and while it looks awesome with the chrome hardware it's extremely delicate. I've owned black guitars and I expected the usual surface marks but this finish while brighter and shinier than most other black guitars collects scratches like Mick Jagger's bed post. Also there is a slight raised area that you can only see in certain lighting that looks like a seam. At first I thought it was a defect in the wood but upon going to a music store and inspecting other black SGs they all had it right below the bridge. The three way toggle switch is also a bit touchy as it seems a puff of air is liable to Switch it to the middle position. I tune down anywhere from a half to one and a half steps and Gibson guitars aren't the best at handling this. While not a problem you may need a technician to adjust everything on the guitar to prevent fret buzz. All of these negative aspects are just from my experience. My friend has the same guitar in cherry and his toggle Switch isnt loose in the slightest. I actually am in the process of returning this guitar for a Natural Burst finish and I'm sure I'll be much happier. // 7

Reliability & Durability: This guitar is definitely gig capable. I'd probably bring a backup or at the very least a couple sets of extra strings though as this bridge has murdered many of mine. I do a lot of bends and am rough though so maybe it's just me. The double cutaway horns seem like they may be susceptible to damage if dropped but upon closer inspection they are curved in a way that would make them unlikely to be hit at an angle to damage them. The chrome harware is beautiful and from looking at my friends Who's owned his for 7 years and never wipes it down it will definitely last with minimal oxidation. The positioning of the strap buttons is odd after playing Strat style guitars for so long but nothing that can't be adapted to. The electronics and build seem extremely durable as I've never heard of any major problems occuring from others and haven't experienced the slightest myself. // 9

Overall Impression: If you play lead or do a lot of single string picking this is definitely the guitar for you. If you plan on strumming a lot and playing mostly chords I'd recommend a guitar with different pickups like EMGs or else to swap these pickups out. I've been playing guitar off and on for 10 years and this is my favorite I've owned and I'm extremely happy with everything the SG packs for the price. If you're considering a lower cost SG such as the Special, Faded, etc. I'd recommend trying both first as they're incredibly different beasts. The biggest difference I noticed is the feel of the neck. The standard is FAR superior. When buying this guitar I'd suggest asking if the seller has a technician available to adjust your neck and pickups to save you the time and possible damage to your guitar. Also make sure they have a good return policy so you can take it home and find out if there are any subtle problems you might not have noticed in the store. I love the look of the SG. There's no metal guitar that looks as cool. The chrome hardware and pearl inlays really make this axe look regal. I chose this guitar over a Les Paul Studio because they have basically the same features and the SG looks meaner. I wish the tuning pegs were chrome instead of the greenish plastic but I'll swap those out on my own. Also for some reason the black SG toggle Switch has a cream knob on it which stands out like a sore thumb but can be replaced for about 4 bucks. I'd definitely recommend this guitar in cherry or sunburst but would warn that if the cosmetic look matters to you in the least stay far away from the ebony. It's worth the extra hundred for a decent finish trust me. In fact I'm rating this section on the other finish's impression or it'd be closer to a 7. // 9

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
Spartan 117, on november 09, 2012 0 of 1 people found this review helpful

Sound: Wonderful above-average sound. I was lucky and actully got a good current-day Gibson. I use a Ibanez TB15R which has the best tone I ever heard out of a 15 watt amp. I don't use any effects but when my friend uses it with his pedals it sounds good. I play Rock, Blues, Metal (Judas Priest/Iron Maiden type stuff) It is ideal for that music. The pickups sound great, I just keep them stock, though I've heard there are better ones. I have my amp set to these specs: bass - 6, mids - 4, treb - 8, reverb - 0, gain - 7-8, volume - 10. It sounds great on taht some other settings too, but tahts mainly what I use for the AC/DC like sound, which is also very good for everything else basically. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The action is good, but the upper frets (around the B blues box an octave up) you really need to push them to get them to play good. The pickups are awesome, the finish looks great. It does not go out of tune really easy unless you bang the headstock. The only real trouble is the nut. I'm having it replaced, but it got really cracked ever since I had it. the high E string used to pop out and drop tuning almost an octave until I lubed it! So here's a warning, Gibson does piss poor jobs on there nuts. Other than that, Everything is in top shape! // 9

Reliability & Durability: This guitar definently can survive every gig I'll ever play. I jump around like an idiot, so I have to watch what I'm doing, but the guitar takes it. The hardware, except for that dumb nut, all lasts. The first day I got it I was playing and dropped it on it's headstock, but nothing was wrong with it, so I immediately got strap locks. I can depend on it, but what I can't depend on is strings, so of course I would bring a back up guitar. // 10

Overall Impression: I'm 14. I worked my butt off to get this thing. I've only been playing for a little more than 2 years, but I'm one hell of a player. This is my only real guitar. (I do have a Squier mini, but that's cause I used to be under 5 feet tall. Now I'm 5'5) If someone stole this, I would cry so much and hunt down the guy Who stole it and beat him up, because this guitar defines my personality and it is a part of me. I love everything except those weak upper frets. I probably should of compared it to other guitars but I was hellbent on getting my SG and I made the right decision. It's small. I'm small. It's light. I'm light. I'm happy with it's simplicity, and I love the horns. This is the sexiest guitar ever made. I do wish it had that tremolo the Vintage ones had, just because it looks cool. I would not use it but coolness is important. Even without it though, it's the coolest guitar ever. // 10

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
phillies0119, on november 09, 2012 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 1400

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: I got an '06 Gibson in absolutely mint condition, used. It was made with one of their highest end pick ups making it sound better than regular SG standards, and also raised the price. I would have bought a new one, but this looked better than the gibsons on display at guitar center. It has 2 volume and 2 tone knobs with a 3 way pick up selecter switch. I got it in black, just like Angus Young, and the finish is beautiful. not a scratch on it and thats how I plan to keep it. It had the Standard Gibson tuners which are flawless. If I keep it on a stad it will hold a tune for 5-7 days, and I play atleast an hour a day. // 10

Sound: With the better pick ups it sounds beautiful. And honestly, I think it is a waste to spend much more on a guitar because you won't find a guitar that sounds better than this. It has that classic Gibson sound. This is one of the best sounding guitars I have played. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: I bought it used and it was flawless. The pickups needed to be raised a hair, but guitar center did the intonation and full inspection like always. The action was just right, not too low to cause buzzing while still easy to play. Everything was wired right, // 10

Reliability & Durability: The hardwiring is perfect. Before I play Live I tend to check everything out, and like always there is nothing wrong. Gibson did a great job with this one. The strap buttons are more solid than a normal guitar because one of the buttons is on the back instead of the cutout giving it a mroe solid base. // 10

Overall Impression: I play everything from classic rock, to hard rock, to metal, to blues, and everything inbetween except country and I wouldn't dare listen to or play any sort of rap. I would definitly buy it again, but it would be hard to find one with the nicer pickups, though the Standard ones sound great anyway. I love everything about it, and the only thing I hate about it is how careful I need to be when around other people. I compareed this to the Fender Telecaster and Stratocaster, and The Gibson Lespaul, and the fenders missed by a long shot. The les paul sounded nice, but I like SGs more anyway, and the weight distribution is better making it a more comfortable play. // 10

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
J.Dawg, on november 09, 2012 0 of 1 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 623

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: My Gibson was made in was 2007, here in the good USA.It has 22 frets, rosewood neck top, round pearl inlays, and normal sized frets. It`s a solid guitar (SG). The body and neck of the guitar are both made of cherry wood. It has a laquer worn red cherry finish, and it's a double cutway(devil horns is what they call the cutways). It has a Tune-O-Matic bridge with a stop bar tail piece behind it. It has active electronics and it has a 3-way toggle switch with 2 volume and 2 tone controll knobs. The pickups are Gibson dual humbucking pickups with Gibson Deluxe tuners. A gig bag came free with it. // 7

Sound: It suits my kind of music style perfectly, like, classic rock, punk rock, heavy metal, pop rock, and alternative. I'm using a DigiTech Grunge distortion with it and a Marshall amp.It`s not noisey, not on any settings, and it has a rich/full sound. It can make any sound your mind can think of, including killswitch, but that's kinda harder with a guitar like this. // 5

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar setup at the factory was perfect, same with the action. The 2nd dual hummerbucking pickup near the bridge was just a bit high, which caused some wear, but nothing major. It has excellent properly bookmatched top as well as a perfectly routed bridge. There were no flaws until I bought it and had it for a couple of weaks, it was just a little nick. // 6

Reliability & Durability: This guitar will definately withstand Live playing. Many famous guitarists have them like Angus Young and Lenny Kravitz etc. The hardware will definately last forever and so will it. The strap buttons are solid and will not move or go anywere. I could definately depend on it and I wouldn`t need any backup on a gig, if there was a gig. The finish is pleanty good enough to last forever and it`s not easy to wear off. // 8

Overall Impression: I play classic rock, punk rock, alternative rock, heavy metal etc. I've been playing guitar for 4 years now. I own a DigiTech Grunge distortion, and an amplifier.There's was nothing I needed to ask before I bought it. If it were lost or stolen I would buy another one, because this guitar is the most dependable guitar there is besides all of Gibson's other guitars. The whole thing I love, don't hate nothing about it, and the whole guitar is my favorite feature. I did look at other guitars but they didn't look like 100% quality. I chose this guitar because it ways in my price range, and it was 100% made in USA. THe only thing I wished it had were some pickup covers. // 10

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
asianinvasion1, on november 09, 2012 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 1100

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: My SG's a 2010 model made in the U.S. with 22 frets, a solid mahogany body and neck with a rosewood fretboard, and a beautiful cherry finish. And the "tulip" tuners not only look cool, but they are more solid than you'd expect from plastic tuners. It also came with a hardshell case that's practically bomb-proof. // 10

Sound: You can play any kind of music with a SG. I play blues, rock and punk, and I couldn't ask for a better sound. The neck pickup is really soft and smooth with the right amount of punch, perfect if you want that acoustic sound. You can make this guitar scream, cry, shout and moan, and you'll love every note that comes out of it. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The only annoying thing was when I got my SG, there was cellophane on the pickguard and it was under all the screws. So I had to take off the pickguard and remove the pickups just to get the cellophane off. But other than that, it was set up just fine at the factory. // 9

Reliability & Durability: The strap buttons are the only thing I can complain about with this guitar. I've dropped this guitar more times than i can count, but the worst that's happened is the finish chipped away a little bit, so i replaced them with Schaller strap locks. Other than that, it's solid. The mahogany neck and body are very stable and will probably never break. // 9

Overall Impression: A SG is the only guitar you'll need, if you can afford it. For $1100, this guitar is not for someone who has other hobbies beside guitar. If you can scrape together the money, I would highly recommend this guitar to anyone. It's best features (besides the crown inlay on the headstock) are the double cutaways and neck shape. I've played Les Pauls and the single cutaway is really annoying when trying to reach the upper frets. So other than the price, this is arguably the greatest guitar out there. // 8

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
SeanX3187, on november 30, 2012 0 of 2 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 650

Purchased from: CL

Features: My guitar is an '08 from America obviously. Standard 22 frets, rosewood fretboard, trapezoid inlays. Solid top, 100% mahogany, black nitro finish. The body style is the simple 60's style double-cut, beveled mahogany SG. Vintage green tuners (Gibson Deluxe). Currently I still have the original passive pickups (490R, 498T) and it has the 4 pots and a selector switch. Basically this part isn't necessary because the tons of other people who reviewed this same guitar will all have more or less the exact same specs/features, but it required me to write 500 characters, sorry. // 6

Sound: I find that this guitar is suitable for almost anything. I don't have a main genre or style that I play, but I have a few that I play most often. Of those my favorite right now is 'Jam', which varies from classic rock to jazz-fusion and folk and some blues, but none of them are constant. I get great tones for what I mentioned above, but there are some tones impossible to get with humbuckers vs single coils, [P.S. I am looking into a coil-splitter, I recommend this for anyone buying this guitar.] I also play punk rock, which calls for heavy, fast riffing, and some crunchy distortion. This is where I think this guitar shines, being very gritty. It has good cleans, but it really 'opens up' once you hit the break-up.
It's a very quiet guitar, most noise you'll hear is generated by your pedals or the amp itself, when I plug direct into a box and through the computer there is no noise at all. When you have it plugged into the amp when it's on and your volume knob is all the way up it will get very loud, but like I said that happens with most guitars because the amp's sound travels through the pickups and back again in that beautiful loop we call feedback. When I turn the volume knob down its like I shut the amp off, so electronics-wise, this guitar is solid.
My current guitar rig is a Mesa Boogie F-50 combo and most of the time I run direct into that, no effects. The guitar sounds amazing through the Mesa now (I used to have a JCM 900 half stack) and while I preferred the crunch on the Marshall, the SGs tone through the Mesa IMO is better. (This can be left up to the player though, that is merely my personal preference).
When I use effects, I have a Boss ME-70. The effects of the pedal work well with the nuances of sound I get from the SG. I play a lot of harmonic note stuff with effects and this guitar can sound beautiful. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: I bought this new from Guitar Center in 2008, and the setup it came with was less than satisfactory. Don't get me wrong, Gibsons set up more guitars a day than most others but when they do so many in an assembly line its easy to let some slip through the cracks. I feel that's what happened with mine because it felt like garbage the first time I played it. The pickups were adjusted nicely, they're set very well so I hardly have to do anything to them. As far as flaws go, I've already mentioned the only one, the setup. The frets feel fine, the finish looked flawless, the wood is very nice (I can see it now since paint has worn in a couple spots) the hardware wasn't dirty or oxidized, the tuning pegs feel spot on (although after a few years I'd recommend some locking tuners, I notice the Gibson Deluxe set has a limited life span as accurate tuners. The nut was ok but I replaced it last year with a new bone nut which was more of my preference than an issue with the original. The controls still to this day feel very tight (not too tight) and the pickup selector isn't noticeable while plugged in. Overall, there were somethings I didn't like, and some things I really did. // 7

Reliability & Durability: I've had it since January 2008, and after nearly 6 years of constant shows, practices, and overall roughhousing, its still 'mint'. The paint has worn in a couple small spots, the frets have worn slightly, there have been several dings in the finish, but the guitar itself still plays like I bought it last month, but better! Most of the hardware seems like quality. I liked everything when I first got it, but now I'm thinking of getting new tuning pegs like some locking ones or even some nice Grovers because the Gibson Deluxe pegs look nice, and they give it that feel, but they're not the best tuners I've used. The strap buttons were great, very solid, but I switched them to Dunlop strap-loks because I tend to get crazy with the guitar and it helps to keep a good hold on it.
I depend on it every weekend, its a beast. I often do bring backups but its for tuning choices and besides the occasional string break I never need to use a backup for this. The finish is strong, but not too thick. The nitro was done beautifully and it's starting to have that natural paint wear that I love (some people could definitely keep theirs nicer over time though). // 8

Overall Impression: Like I said, I play almost everything with it, except for country and surf and other things I like to use single coils for. This is my main humbucker guitar, and that's not going to change anytime soon. I've been playing for over 10 years now, and I've had this guitar for almost 6 of those. I've had Epi SGs and LPs, I've had a Gibson SG Special, I've had Ibanez RG series, Ibanez S, Strats, Teles, Jags + Stangs, etc...
This one I've had the longest, and I like it the most. If someone stole this guitar from me I would probably buy it again eventually, but I like to change things up so I may get a Jazzmaster or something. My favorite thing about this guitar is how long it's been 'loyal' to me. I can always count on it, it's my mainstay. I'd say it's better than a lot of guitars that I've played, but by no means the best. Overall I give it a 7. This is very fair, and if I wasn't used to how reviews work I might have given it a 10 because I love it so much.
As far as Gibson SGs go, this is the one to have. I had the special and it did basically the exact same thing except it didn't feel quite as solid, to me it seemed almost fragile. If you don't have that kind of money the SG Special is a good second, but try to stick to the finished models. The unfinished guitars always show every little mark and while you might not have to worry about messing up the finish, putting dents and scratches and marks directly into the wood isn't any better. The Classic is amazing but I feel you're limited with just P90s, which is why I mentioned earlier that I want to coil-split my pickups so I can truly utilize this guitar more, and have an entire other side to guitar tones not accessible before.
Very long story short, if you're looking for a Gibson SG, I recommend this for the price range. If you're looking for a lightweight, hard-rock machine, I recommend this. If you're looking for cheap, maybe you'd have better luck with another brand. Names get expensive these days unfortunately.

SG Standard
Reviewed by:
thomas.verbeeck, on march 22, 2015 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Price paid: € 1000

Purchased from: Keymusic

Features: The guitar was made in 2010 and I have it for 3.5 years now. The features are well known so I won't mention them again. It's a very standard guitar, and it's features are now a benchmark and are copied allot. The '50s neck isn't my thing realy. It pushes you to wap the thumb round the neck, rather than pushing you to place it falt on the back of the neck(but that's just preference). The one that I have is a really light SG (it's 5.95lbs!) wich I like allot because I'm a skinny dude. The neck dive is a major drawback from it, It's easy to correct with your body but not while sweeping or doing 2 and 3 finger tapping, wich makes it double annoying. // 6

Sound: I play in a progressive metal band and I can say it sucks for that genre. The pickups are way to muddy (little tip when you see gibson promoting a "warm" sounding pickup expect mud). The pickups are fine in standard tuning, nothing special and the little mud from the neckpickup can be forgiven. But in drop C or B the neck is really muddy. The sustain isn't good, it was owned by a 350€ import Parker PDF50.

The cleans are warm but not so clear, so it's well fitted for chord background stuff. For clean melody's I much prefer a more pianolike sound (like my Ibanez ARZ307 wich has actice Duncans). The overdriven sounds are a bit the same, this guitar is suited best for rythm playing. Leads only cut really through on the bidge pickup, but that isn't as liquid as you might want for a nice solo one.

Blues is what I think it does really well, just like jazz, a light overdriven soun, that's where this guitar comes alive most I belief. The versatility isn't there (it does allot of genres equally "good" but the average level isn't that high and I expect better from a 1000€ guitar made by such an iconic company) // 6

Action, Fit & Finish: The overall setup was standard and it was very easy to adjust it to my prefferd setting. The finish was done very well just like the matching of the wood (wich is rather nice piece of mahogany on mine). The frets are like almost every Gibson: OKAY not definatly great. The binding was done quite rough and not acceptable from a guitar in this price class. The nibs aren't smouthed and the edge is trimmed done to decreas the sharpnes at the edge that allot of bound guitars have. But that is done baddly I was disapointed with some of the finishing on this guitar. The fretboard isn't a nice piece and the are scratches on it around the nibs. I'll rate it a 4 because it would be good/ok for a guitar around the 500€ mark but not on such an expensive piece. // 4

Reliability & Durability: The strapbuttons are like molded to the guitar, that is done very good. They don't move twist or wathever. The hardware feels solid, but the wood doesn't. The typical headstock thing with gibson also happend to me. It was in the case wich stood up verticale, it fell on te ground and the headstock was completelly f--ked. The luthier that fixed it explained me why it is so common.

Gibson uses a bad method of cutting the wood and the lack of a vollute is utter dumb. The brand is know for this but I wasn't expecting such a fragile instrument. And gibson doesn't even fix this problem them lazy bastards! How can you sell a guitar for 1000€ that has so many flaws, QC isn't what it is supposed to be and the engeniering (or lack of it) in the construction isn't fixed over 50 years wich is a shame. The finish looks nice but you can scratch through it all the way to the wood with a pick (Tortex Jazz III 1.14mm). It is so fragile this guitar. Because of it's light weight you want to jump around but are imediatly stopped because you know it won't survive that. // 2

Overall Impression: It is no match for my playing style, fragile and if it where stolen it wouldn't buy one back. I would go for a Parker or Jackson. The guitars has allot of flaws and that caused a love/hate affair, because how much I can shit about it it's my piece of shit and I can't stand other people givong hate to mine. That's the only magic that keeps me from going nuts live and the risk of destroying it by doing so. I wished I've know this before, then I would be like the dream that stayed untouched (and unruined). The people who addore these instruments are like most of the time not aware off the flaws because their playing is limiting them to fully descover I believe (I can't find another reason that this guitar still sells) It's a disapointing piece of drama my SG. // 5

i would love to have the gibson model but i can't afford it. i do have the epiphone equivelent(the g-400) and it rocks like no other guitar i have ever played. my advice, get the epi and if you want to, put a new set of pickups in

i personally think that the sound quality it very poor nowdays. they lost their great sound back in 1979 when ACDC recorded their last album with a great legend. if you are an acdc fan you will know that the sound quality is steadily getting more shithouse with every album. malcolm young's gretche has a purely awesome sound and still does even with these new amps.
SOUND QUALITY: SG: 5/10 GRETCHE:10/10

i really couldnt give a **** what people say about the SG, i love mine, given it had a kind of muffled clean from the neck at first. i changed the pickups to burstbuckers, and this thing screams, i couldnt be more happy with it

I own a 1972 version and it still kicks... I use it mainly for slide (open) tunings...however it needs some fret board work and as with most owners of the SG the neck can get busy...you have to pay attention to you truss rod adjustments...

cam201 :
i personally think that the sound quality it very poor nowdays. they lost their great sound back in 1979 when ACDC recorded their last album with a great legend. if you are an acdc fan you will know that the sound quality is steadily getting more shithouse with every album. malcolm young's gretche has a purely awesome sound and still does even with these new amps.
SOUND QUALITY: SG: 5/10 GRETCHE:10/10
I agree totally man brian johnson just pisses me off.

cam201 wrote:
i personally think that the sound quality it very poor nowdays. they lost their great sound back in 1979 when ACDC recorded their last album with a great legend. if you are an acdc fan you will know that the sound quality is steadily getting more shithouse with every album. malcolm young's gretche has a purely awesome sound and still does even with these new amps.
SOUND QUALITY: SG: 5/10 GRETCHE:10/10

dude why'd you bring acc/dc in to this? do you really think there sound is deteriorating? well let's see, considering they are rich and lately have been using nothing but VINTAGE equipment. (angus used a '64 sg on ballbreaker) dude i think stiff upper lip was there best record since blow up your video. all the songs rocked and did NOT sound like a shithole youretard
mysteryguitar wrote:
cam201 :
people get sg's for there looks
to people who hate SG's, go buy one...just stop complaining cause you cant get a decent one

yeah i agree i got one of the best possible 2005 models. NOBODY has ever hated the damn thing.
Acorn wrote:
for those who hate sg's, sure spent a lot of time going to the reviews and posting comments.

i love the sg, tis amazing. of course it is. why? well, its a gibson, and a whole bunch of people from the beetles to rise against and fall out boy play them. the only thing i had a problem with was where the strap button was, when you stand up to play, it feels like you're holding up a metal bar. other than that, its amazing, awsome sound, built strong and durable, yet not amazingly heavy. vair good job, gibson *claps*

Beautiful guitar! I only wish the pickups were a lil bit hotter. The neck pickup in the standards sounds kinda 'short' y'know? I'm buying a sg faded soon, (hell yeah!) only because the 'buckers are a bit hotter. Oh yeah, and it's cheaper.

ZGS wrote:
Beautiful guitar! I only wish the pickups were a lil bit hotter. The neck pickup in the standards sounds kinda 'short' y'know? I'm buying a sg faded soon, (hell yeah!) only because the 'buckers are a bit hotter. Oh yeah, and it's cheaper.

dude the faded sg has a 490T and that isn't as hot as a 498T on the standard

Spartan Dude, are you sure? The faded has the 498T and 490R pickups, I don't know what the standard has, but I've played both back-to-back and the faded does sound hotter. The standard did have a sweeter tone though, lil bit nicer clean sound. What really sold me was the worn finish, feels pretty kick-ass.

I have one and it is awesome...I have it in black. I think it looks best in black. And why is everyone saying hte sound sucks...IT'S AWESOME. With a Marshall Half-Stack it sounds great. The only problem was the price...i'm not rich...the Marshall was expensive too...the standard pick-ups sound best to me...and they are just sexy...

haha, yes it is, but the people who dont like the SG wouldnt like you saying that cos they will think thats the only reason you want one!
i can see why people dont like the SG, the technology is old compared to what you might find on an ESP etc. but thats becuase gibson have never changed the design or spec so that people who want a classic SG can still get one.
personaly i love mine, but i wouldnt dream of using it for playing certain songs, it would sound bollocks. but then again, for most heavy stuff, you cannot beat it.
its all about opinion..mine is- its awesome.

I'll be honest the SG seems to be a very Marmite guitar. It could be down to the neck thickness changing between years and you've played a neck that you do or don't like to an extreme. I own an SG, and I get brilliant tones out of it. Admitted I had a Dirty Fingers Humbucker fitted to the neck, but thats not a slur on the original neck pick up, thats me customising it. I find I can play anything from Satriani to blink-182 on this guitar. It really is the guitar for me.

cam201 wrote:
i personally think that the sound quality it very poor nowdays. they lost their great sound back in 1979 when ACDC recorded their last album with a great legend. if you are an acdc fan you will know that the sound quality is steadily getting more shithouse with every album. malcolm young's gretche has a purely awesome sound and still does even with these new amps.
SOUND QUALITY: SG: 5/10 GRETCHE:10/10

ZGS wrote:
Spartan Dude, are you sure? The faded has the 498T and 490R pickups, I don't know what the standard has, but I've played both back-to-back and the faded does sound hotter. The standard did have a sweeter tone though, lil bit nicer clean sound. What really sold me was the worn finish, feels pretty kick-ass.

maybe the faded you played had a pickup change cause last time i checked the specs, it had a 490R and a 490T. I LOVE MY SG!

It's one of the nicest guitars I've played. I changed the pickups (they were very good, but they didn't get me the sound I wanted) for a DiMarzio Evolution (B) and Gibson Classic 57 (N), and now (and with the ebony finish), it owns!!! And it's a very versatile guitar if you know how to play it: I play death metal with it and sounds better than my old B.C. Rich Beast.

I totaly agree, its a shame as they're getting more expensive at the same time. And people who say " the SG sucks obviously doesnt have/or cant afford one. Though i think that the P90 on my Les Paul Junior has bags more tone than the 498T on my Sg.

You tell those wouldn't-know-a-good-guit
ar-
if-it-fell-from-heaven-an
d- landed-on-their-head b*****ds,Zeppelin_31
Are you saying this in a good way or a bad way. I just got the guitar and it might just be the best thing that ever happend to me.

Hate to burst to those who say that Gibsons are based off there looks for reason people by them. SG's aren't the only ones that get bought, The sound out of Gibson can be really nice depending on what type of genre of music your in and what kind of Guitar that you want. Fenders are good, but not my type of Guitar I want. Other guitars are great. By far The Gibson is my favorite on the top. My point here is to tell you all to not say anything to put other people in a bad situation because The more you open your mouth and Say shit means you cause others to quit or otherwise worst. Just lay off, whether it's the truth or not.

Orneblad :
I HAVE A PROBLEM!! i've worked in some money now but i dont know what's best to buy; gibson les paul standard or sg? is the les paul woth it?

To tell you the truth, a Les Paul does look nice, but the SG is completelyy worth it. The thing about the Les Paul is that the 3 way switch is on the top of the guitar which can be very difficult to use. With and SG, you still get the looks, the sound, and a switch that you can hit when you downstrum. That's the way I look at it. Or just buy both

guitar_killer :
Dude that guy payed 200 for it i wish i could get a deal like that

i doubt it... although it would be nice...
im saving up for one of these
heritage cherry
yeh and all the people that hate these, are the people who like fenders...
fender = plywood shit
gibson = sex
all the people that are jipping off the gibson probrably own squire strats...
peace, gibson sg standard is pure ownage
mr gibson is a legend and i think we should thank him

I own a Mexican-made Fender Standard Strat, and the neck is real nice. The balance of it is superb, but there's just something about a Gibson that you can't even come close to with a Fender. It's not wonder that Gibsons dominate the music industry. Everyone who knows their shit knows that Gibsons OWN Fenders, no matter how expensive your Fender is, and I am a Fender owner! There is barely a difference between a $400 standard and a $1000+ American. Gibsons are the way to go. Les Pauls go up in value over the years far more than Strats do. Don't get me wrong, I really like my Strat, but as soon as I receive sufficient funds, the next things I'm buying are a Marshall amp and a Gibson SG. I've played the 61 reissue and it is unbelievable. I would also like to check out the Gibson SG-3. They are all so sick. I love Gibsons. You can't go wrong with any of them!

ZGS wrote:
Beautiful guitar! I only wish the pickups were a lil bit hotter. The neck pickup in the standards sounds kinda 'short' y'know? I'm buying a sg faded soon, (hell yeah!) only because the 'buckers are a bit hotter. Oh yeah, and it's cheaper.

Have you seen the faded finish? It's the most dirty,ugly brown on a guitar I've ever seen! Spartan 117 is so true, the burstbuckers are hotter than the inexpensive faded pups. If you want hotter pups, just get some EMGs on that thing!!

metal jello wrote:
ZGS wrote:
Beautiful guitar! I only wish the pickups were a lil bit hotter. The neck pickup in the standards sounds kinda 'short' y'know? I'm buying a sg faded soon, (hell yeah!) only because the 'buckers are a bit hotter. Oh yeah, and it's cheaper.
Have you seen the faded finish? It's the most dirty,ugly brown on a guitar I've ever seen! Spartan 117 is so true, the burstbuckers are hotter than the inexpensive faded pups. If you want hotter pups, just get some EMGs on that thing!!

This is my favorite guitar of all time. Its light weight, skinny and it's extremely easy to reach the higer fretts. But the only reason its great is because it is made from gibson and lets face it gibson kicks fenders stupid f***** ass!

i've got a gibson sg standard and it is lush!!!! you can't beat the tone and the sustain of it. however i tried out a sg special and thought it was very poorly made, it looked cheap! if anyone is gunna buy a sg you have to get the standard; it's sooo much better made.

this guitar has created the most influential rock tones ever...angus young, tony iommi, pete townsend...the list goes on
im guna hav to save for a bit but is it worth saving 800? i could save for a few more months and get a les paul. any recomendations?

I preffered it to the 61 reissue cos the 61's neck was annoyingly flat for me and my big hands. The Std also has better sustain. As far as sound goes, I felt the 490R on the Std and the 57 classic (neck) on the 61 sounded almost identical, contrary to what I've heard.
It's really your call on them, as it is on any guitar...

Back in the early 90's a friend of mine lent me a beat up early 60's SG. I now own an Les Paul Standard. The two guitars are a little different. I find the SG to have a "tighter" sound as far as power chords are concerned. Its good for hard rock and can have great tones - a little different from a Les Paul. FYI

Pingis_Or_Death wrote:
SkinnyWhiteBoy wrote:
Fender > Gibson
but, whatever...
Jackson > All imo, this guitar seems ridiculously overpriced. As with all gibsons, you pay for the brand, not the guitar...

amen to that. for the price of the sg, you can get a jackson rr5 (i have one, its ****ing amazing), or get an esp f-400 (and have enough money left over for a decent practice amp), both of which are superior guitars.
the sg isnt that bad of a guitar either (tho i like the les paul better), but gibson completely rapes customers with the ridiculous overpricing (imho, sg is worth no more than 600-700 on the market, especially when most upper-end esp's are around 700-800, and are loads better)

If the SG is good enough for Eric Clapton, its definatley good enough for me. BTW the SG I own is amazing, I've tried other guitars(Fender, Dean, ESP, PRS ect.) and this guitar sounds just as good. In fact, it almost sounds like a LP Black Beauty I tried a month ago...

strats are great for jazz, blues, and classic rock because they have a kind of bright sound but... SG's are great for hard rock, more classic rock, and metal becasue the have a darker sound.
so far i have a Squier affinity strat and i'm getting a vintage G-400

mjj4 wrote:
guitar_killer :
Dude that guy payed 200 for it i wish i could get a deal like that
i doubt it... although it would be nice...
im saving up for one of these
heritage cherry
yeh and all the people that hate these, are the people who like fenders...
fender = plywood shit
gibson = sex
all the people that are jipping off the gibson probrably own squire strats...
peace, gibson sg standard is pure ownage
mr gibson is a legend and i think we should thank him

i own Ibanez JEM 77 FP and i hate gibson. i also like to jipping off gibsons. so your theory is a crap.
hahaha... just kidding dude. i don't hate this guitar and i don't like to jipping off gibsons. to me, this guitar is just.. nothing. all gibsons are nothing actually. they dont deserve to be hated or liked.

ahhh. here we go again. whether a brand sounds crappy to you is your own OPINION. so stop stating it like a fact.
now, i've never tried an SG, but i'll give it a shot. although i'm really considering the Epi. Sheraton II.

the Epiphone sg is probably the best copy of one of these, but the Gibson has better pick-ups. so if you can't afford one of these- go for an epi g-400 and replace the pick-ups. but if you can afford one of these, definetly go for one of these as people act like total f***s towards epiphones and just act all snobby towards you just cos of the name(even they're actually quite good guitars too.
And to any SG haters-go home. Out of the big 4 (Les paul, strat, tele, SG) you are definitely going to get a good sound out of any of them and which one you pick, depends on what sort of music you wanna play, but don't go around critisising the SGs when they look ten times more looking than telecasters.

i love gibsons, im getting an epiphone SG soon...thats all i can afford as the gibson is 1000
but i see that both fenders and gibsons have their differences and both are good guitar makes, but give me a gibson anyday

prity sick guitar i d say ... gibsons are nice in general and have sweet assed powerful pickeups... but other than that they are alot like the epiphone equals... but they cost a ****ing fortion!! sum ppl who paid 1700 buck .. u could get such a better guitar... i dunno whats 2 b said 4 durability cause i ve never owned one but as far as quality goes... good pickups but cost wayy to much... im ur not stuck on gibson check out schecters, esp's ibanezes, and prs's... you could get such a sick guitar... nd the other this is gibson has yet to make a 24 fret guitar that i ve seen... nd thats has turned me off from so many guitars,, 24 frets give u better access and are just fun ,... if gibson would just catch on

Not taking anything away from the SG fans out there, but I personally don't like em. Not diggin the looks, don't like the sound at all and most of all.. I've never played a guitar that felt so AWKWARD. But yeah, everyone has their own taste/feel for a guitar. Thats my 2 cents

Well, personally im a fender guy and love them, but the sg always appealed to me because it sounded so mean in sabbath and acdc but..... the first time i played it i no longer had desire to own one, the neck feels like im holding a log and the strings at the bridge are so far off the body, i cant rest my arm or hardly pick an individual string at a time. the lp is better to me simply because the strings arent a foot off the body. i still think sg's look and sound cool though.

tom_martin_123 wrote: i hate the way they call it "standard", it almost puts me off wanting it.... its like do i want the standard one. taking nothing from the guitar though it's great
same for me the name "standard" kind of gives this guitar a bad name

AC/DCRock and tom_martin_123:
I disagree. I think when you see or hear the name "Standard" I think it makes it more attractive because its the "original" type, sort of. Just like the Stratocaster Standard. If you hear you know, Affinity series or something, you get put off because its not the original you hear so much about, and that the old pros played etc.

stop complaining about gibson being overpriced, if you don't have money, live with it. just buy cheap ass guitars according to your own income, don't be jealous to those people who can buy gibson guitars
peace. gibson is awsome, the best guitar ever.

JayWalk wrote:
stop complaining about gibson being overpriced, if you don't have money, live with it. just buy cheap ass guitars according to your own income, don't be jealous to those people who can buy gibson guitars
peace. gibson is awsome, the best guitar ever.

ive been playing guitar for about 2 years and i have only been using my epiphone sg so far, this summer im thinking of saving up for a gibson sg standard and a marshall amp. should i go for the sg or the les paul thnx

I would recommend an SG to anyone. I have a 2003 SG standard and I have used to for EVERYTHING. Live shows, recording, rehearsals, recitals, jamming, or whatever. Hell, the thing sounds good without being plugged! (actually did this on a few recordings) I play in many many different styles of music with several different groups and I use this guitar for everything. Jazz, rock, metal, prog, punk, blues, pop, etc etc etc. Seriously, if you are having issues deciding on what to get; get an SG. I would pay attention to detail though! I have seen some issues with Gibson lately dealing with the placement of the bridge, resulting in intonation issues. Find the right one and it will treat you so nicely...

Just bought one. Playing it through my JCM900 TSL. Heavy and fat tone - really big sound. Sabbath. Awesome. Great quality too. Stays in tune well. I use a strat quite a bit and the strings are a little farther apart on the SG which takes a little getting used to but nothing to complain about. Great instrument.

Personally, I love my SG. It's a finely crafted, solid, reliable guitar and it's perfectly suited for the styles of music I play. It also happens to be one damn sexy beast! As far as the Gibson nay sayers go... It's all about personal style and choice. If you want the SG to sound like a Strat, you're going to be disappointed. Fender players will always say that Gibsons sound dark and muddy. Gibson players will always say that Fenders sound twangy and quacky. Don't buy ANY guitar because someone eles told you it was good. Go to the store and pick one that feels good and sounds good to you.

cam201 wrote:
i personally think that the sound quality it very poor nowdays. they lost their great sound back in 1979 when ACDC recorded their last album with a great legend. if you are an acdc fan you will know that the sound quality is steadily getting more shithouse with every album. malcolm young's gretche has a purely awesome sound and still does even with these new amps.
SOUND QUALITY: SG: 5/10 GRETCHE:10/10

Guess what? Angus uses pretty much the same SG every AC/DC album, Not one made on the same year as the album :L I am a die hard AC/DC fan, and I know Bon Scott was a legend, but Brian Johnson is better imo.
Anywayyy; my next guitar will either be an SG or a MIJ LP (Edwards, Tokai, Burny etc etc.) Cant wait

You want to know why there is a slight quack?
It is because of 2 reasons. The main reason is how high your pick ups are. the hotter the pickups the more you could claim it quacks. The second reason is you use 9 gauge strings. they are designed to use 10 guage.

When I first wanted a new guitar, I never thought I'd have enough for one of these. But soon enough, after many hours of babysitting and mowing lawns, I was opening my own Gibson USA case to reveal a brand new SG standard. Trust me, saving up goes faster than you think. Don't give up, continue the legacy.

I interpret "standard" as it's the standard by which others are measure by. Not it's "standard" or "average". The SG Standard is a quality axe. I love the fretboard, how expansive it is. You don't feel cramped on it. I found an SG Standard used and got 15% off at Guitar Center. I would recommend others do the same instead of buying a mediocre knock-off. I like the vintage Epiphone G-400 (comes with an orange toggle switch, could be good with different pickups) but it doesn't compare to a Gibson SG Standard. I have a Les Paul studio (the one with a maple top 490/498 pickups, same pickups as the SG Standard). The Les Paul has more crunch and a more rounded tone overall (I guess b/c of the maple top), but the SG standard is more fun to play IMO. To me a Les Paul fretboard feels bunched up and kind of crowded. But obviously you have to try them yourself and see which one floats your boat.

Golden_creature wrote:
cam201 :
people get sg's for there looks
i couldn't agrre more. sg's have a really crappy sound and they just genrally suck

That is the first time I have ever seen a drunken slur in text... very interesting. And, seeing as how you have probably never even played an SG, they not only look sexy, they sound great. Go listen to the solo to "You Shook Me All Night Long".
That's an SG's sound.

...i have 1 of those and like any guitarist (i suppose) I sometimes look for something different, but i always go back to my sg. I think its the best and 1 thing i know for sure is that this guitar is never gonna be sold or seperated from me no matter what.

I love my Gibson SG, really raw and aggressive sounding guitar perfect for rock and roll and laying down the heavy riffs! At the same time it's got that beautiful tone/sound much like the les paul's except it's more light-weight and more affordable!I'm surprised to see some SG bashing in this forum but everyone's got their own preference!

I love my SG!! had it for more than 5 years! never had one single problem with it what so ever! I've had slight issues with other guitars that I've only owned for 2-3 years but my Gibson SG has never failed me! Definitely gonna buy another one after I get through college! I love the raw aggressive yet beautiful tone/sounds I can get out of this guitar!